MBAe grad’s oil-change wrench removes grime, saves time

Newsstand | Clemson University News and Stories, South Carolina

Steven Owens isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty, but he’d rather not.
Steven OwensImage Credit: Submitted
An August graduate of Clemson University’s MBAe program, Owens isn’t unlike the millions of do-it-yourselfers, and professionals, who drain and change motor oil in vehicles. What separates the Gaffney, S.C., entrepreneur from the masses is the specialty tool he has designed that eliminates the mess, saves time and simplifies the oil-change process for DIYers and professionals alike.
“Last Drop Wrench” is the self-proclaimed gear head’s entry in a national aftermarket automotive products competition against 15 semifinalists. Online voting pares the field to 10 finalists who pitch their products at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Launch Pad Competition in late October in Las Vegas.
Click on image to vote. Only one vote per competitor.
“It’s a specialty tool made from injection-molded plastic and hardened steel that drains an engine’s oil without having to remove the filter from the vehicle,” said Owens ’05 mechanical engineering. “The tool punctures the filter allowing oil to flow through the Last Drop Wrench and into a drain pan. Then, it’s used to remove the old filter. The Last Drop Wrench makes the traditional, messy oil change a thing of the past.”
Owens’ day job is that of an engineering section manager of manufacturing technology for Timken at its bearings facility in Gaffney. His entrepreneurial energies are directed at Creative Fabrications & Coatings, a start-up he founded in nearby Blacksburg.
“It’s a powder coating business I started while in the MBAe program. I hope to spin some ideas, like the Last Drop Wrench, out of the business and hopefully it will help with cash flow in taking some of my business ideas to market.”
The origin of the Last Drop Wrench is rooted in a short-lived summer job Owens had as a teen-ager …